Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, schools warn of suspicious person

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents to be careful after a man tried to get a 12-year-old boy to come to his home.

Deputies say Sunday afternoon the boy was out riding a his bike with a friend and his friend’s dad on Cortland Dr. The boy was lagging behind them somewhat when a white man, possibly in his 50s driving a small silver sedan thought to be a Honda Accord pulled alongside the boy and began talking to him about baseball.

He then invited the boy to his home to play ball with the man’s grandchildren. He did not make physical contact with the boy or try to get the boy into his car, and no crime was committed.

“We have had several inquiries from the public about this incident, which has caused some alarm in the community,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “We are investigating the matter. As always, I encourage parents to supervise their children and teach them not to engage with strangers. If a stranger approaches a child, the child should leave the area and immediately report the incident to an adult he knows and trusts. Teach your children, ‘If you see something, say something.’”

The Lancaster County School District Safety and Transportation also sent a message out to parents stating, in part:

We wanted you to be on the lookout for a man who may be attempting to abduct children. The Sheriff’s Department received a report yesterday from the Walnut Creek area of Indian Land that a white man in a gray four door possibly Honda tried to get a child to go with him to play baseball. Please be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles and please caution your children to not get in a car with a stranger. If you see an individual and vehicle that matches the description above, please notify the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388 or contact Midlands Crimestoppers at 888-274-6372.